JPL | RAdml Harper & Col. Harper | "Heading out orders""

Posted on 241504.04 @ 8:57pm by Rear Admiral Kassandra Harper & Colonel Patrick Harper

Mission: The Fight For Peace [GQ Plot]

As Commanding Officer of the 86th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, Patrick Harper had an office. It wasn't the most spectacular office in the world, but it functioned as well as it could. It was in a small administration building located near the barracks allocated to his Brigade on the northern perimeter of the sprawling base. His office was sparsely decorated, as was his way, and he was in the same building as his Regimental HQ section.

It therefore didn't come as a shock when his personal aide tapped on the door and walked straight in. "Flash message for you Colonel, from the CG."

"Which CG?" Patrick smirked. As CO of the 86th, he was administratively part of the 3rd Division, and reported to Major General Trident. However, as part of the 3rd MEF, he also answered indirectly to General Sharpe.

"Old Neptune himself." The Major smiled, using the moniker that the men had given to General Trident, and handed the PADD to Patrick.

Harper accepted the PADD and read the contents, which weren't exactly extensive. "You seen this?" He asked his aide, who'd presumably come straight from comms.

"Yes sir." Major Tanner replied.

"This better not be a damn drill." Patrick sighed. "Alert the battalions, we're to be ready to deploy in 36 hours."

"Yes Colonel." Tanner said, nodding.

"Oh, and see if my wife has a spare few minutes in her day. I'd like to go see her before we deploy." Patrick said, meaning that his comms staff were to check with Kassi's admin section to see if the Sector Commander had a spare five minutes in her schedule to see her husband, and the father of their unborn child. What a world to live in - that they needed to have their respective staff co-ordinate a last minute visit...

=*= Kassi's office =*=

Kassi sighed as he pondered the good old days when she was just an Ensign and was able to light fun stuff. Stuff that she enjoyed doing... it wasn't that she didn't enjoy what she was doing now, but this was way more stressful then the old days. Having just finished up her latest meeting, she moved to her feet and made her way over to replicator for a drink.

"Admiral?" Came the voice of Signor as he peeked into her office. He'd already taken the initiative and rearranged her next meeting so that she'd have the needed time, but figured he would ask her now and give the Admiral a chance to say yes or no.

"Aye?" Kassi replied as she turned and looked at her assistant.

"Colonel Harper has asked if you had a few minutes so that he may see you."

Setting her drink down with a frown and nod as gut feeling told her instantly the reason why he'd wanted to see her. "Of course, I always have time for him. Postpone my next meeting for a half hour and let the Colonel know I'll be expecting him."

"Aye Ma'am." He said before turning to step out and get the message relayed back to the Colonel.

It didn't take long for the administrative people to pass the message on between spouses, and Harper found himself arriving at the Starfleet building in the colony proper not long after the fact. He'd taken a Hummer out of the motor-pool, and he could see the legacy that Sharpe had left with the security people at the Starfleet building, as they immediately tensed when they saw the Hummer pull up at the main gate.

"Relax, I'm not a General." Harper smirked, and provided his identity to the guards. After it was confirmed that he did have clearance to enter, he drove into the grounds and parked his vehicle off to the side. He made his way inside, and was escorted by a young blonde Lieutenant JG to the Admiral's office.

"Colonel Harper to see Admiral Harper." He said, smirking as he did so. He actually wondered if she'd changed her name officially, or was she still known to the service as Admiral Denterius.

Kassi was sitting on the edge of her desk waiting for him, a warm smile on her face as he entered, though she waited for the door to close before pushing off and moving over to him. After pressing a soft kiss upon his lips her gaze met his. "Bad news isn't it." She finally asked softly, though she knew the answer.

"We knew it could happen." Patrick sighed in reply. "We depart in 35 hours."

"I know, doesn't mean I like the fact any better. You know... one really has to wonder how someone is supposed to keep the stress down in their life when doing what we do." Kassi said softly as she curled up against his chest.

"Look on the bright side, I'm a Colonel in command of a marine brigade, its not like I'm on the front front lines. I admit I was safer as Richards' Sergeant Major - as I was usually at his HQ. Although that man only recently realised that General's don't fight with rifles on the front lines." Patrick said. "And I'm not Towers - I don't have a deathwish."

"That's good to know, though sometimes I have to wonder about Towers.... A Councillor would probably have a field day with him." She smirked a little with that thought before giving a shake of her head. "You better hurry back, I want you here when the little one is born."

"Its a simple operation, we should be in and out in a few weeks." Patrick said, without realising the irony of the statement that had been made by so many throughout history. "I just felt you should know I was being activated. By the time I get there, it'll all be over."

Kassi was silent for a moment as she thought of what he'd just said. War's never went the way one thought they would. She'd learned that first hand. "You better be." Her voice was soft as she said it, worry already starting to get to her as she nuzzled her face against his neck.

"That an order, Admiral?" He asked, looking into her eyes.

"Yes, yes it is Colonel." Kassi said as she tried a faint hearted attempt to tease him.

"Isn't it a shame I'm not in your chain of command." He teased her back.

Kassi smirked a little with that. "I may not be in your command, but I am your wife. So I rule." She kissed him softly. "You going to be home tonight then? I think I'll try and wrap up early so we have the night together."

"All the men are getting a one night furlough before we ship out. Usual practice. So yeah, I should be home tonight." Patrick smiled.

"Good, I'll try not to hurt myself rushing home to you tonight." She said with a little smile, trying hard not to let her emotions get the better of her.

"That would be nice." Patrick grinned. "I'll get us a nice dinner, and we can eat out on the veranda, and watch the stars."

"I'd like that, but for now I better get back to work. I'm sure someone will be poking their head in to tell me about some meeting I need to get to." Kassi said with a soft sigh.

"Ah, the burdens of high office." Patrick smiled. "Have fun." With that, he left her office, after kissing her on the lips.

Watching him head out, Kassi sighed softly before moving back to settle at her desk once more to get back to work.

= END LOG =

Rear Admiral Kassi Harper
Sector Commander, Zetari Sector Block

Colonel Patrick Harper
Brigade CO
NPC by Frankie